To Hide the Sun
by brokenfate117
Summary: After Hero took over the role of Guildmaster, all of Albion feared those called heros...but for the five apprentices selected to be trained by Hero himself, there could be nothing better in the world. First fanfic here. I've got a few others though.
1. Chapter 1

To Hide the Sun- Chapter One

Smiling dryly, she set the book she'd been trawling through on the table. She was in what passed as the Guild's tavern, her study materials strewn all around her. Although she'd been sitting there for hours, no one had come by and ordered her to tidy up, and the only companionship was the drunken barkeep, continually washing the same mug. And now, after five or so hours of studying, another apprentice came by and asked her what exactly it was that she was studying.

"Oh, nothing in particular. How about you go through the demon door and ask Hooktooth what he's studying?" she responded, her tone thick with fake innocence. The curious apprentice scowled and left. She returned to her studying, forgetting her aggravation in the hand printed text and beautiful illustrations.

Since Hero became the Guildmaster many years ago, Albion went through quite a few changes. The Guild, which apparently used to offer both "good" and "evil" quests, now only allowed for "evil". Some villagers nicknamed the Guild "Skorm's Filing Cabinet." Of course, if a villager used that name in the presence of a hero, said villager's head was summarily removed from the body. There were also rumours that Hero was planning on destroying the Guild, but there was no way to prove or disprove the theories.

Either way, Albion had come across dark times the day Hero took up two more names. Although originally called Hero and whatever his old Title was, he now preferred to be called either Hero or Guildmaster. His third name was Jack of Blades. Hero usually killed whomever he heard call him Jack, however. It was hard to refrain from it, though, when all of his face that you could see were his eyes, horns, and hair.

Soon after Hero destroyed Jack of Blades' dragon form and taken the mask, he returned to the Guild and took over. Only Scythe expressed his displeasure, but he did not object. Eventually, he became a second advisor to Hero, the first being Jack's spirit. If such a thing could be said, Scythe was the most like a friend to Hero than anyone else was.

Hero had selected five apprentices that he would train himself and told Scythe to choose three. The eight apprentices had been allowed to select one-word titles and had been given access to areas that were forbidden to the other untitled apprentices. All of Hero's apprentices had recently been given hefty assignments, while Scythe's were training in the Guild Woods.

Although Hero's apprentices were closer than many others in the Guild, they chose to work alone, and were rewarded with Hero's approval. Scythe's, on the other hand, were the most outgoing rivals of any in the Guild and could often be found trying to poison one another's drinks. Hero's apprentices included Hooktooth, Pauldron, Clasp, Invert, and Hourglass. Scythe's were Datura, Pulse, and Theatre.

None of Hero's apprentices knew what the other was researching, and none of them spoke of their tasks to each other. Invert sighed, wondering where the others were, for she was the one working in the tavern area. She knew that Hooktooth was beyond the demon door, most likely sitting naked in the water, reading with his back against the ground. Although there was a perfectly good chair, Hooktooth always preferred to be in the water.

She had no idea where Hourglass was, since he always seemed to be at ease anywhere. Clasp was probably on the roof of Traitor's Tower, which was apparently once a hero named Maze's quarters. And Pauldron was more than likely being an ass and choosing to work in the map room so everyone else would have to go around him.

They had started their assignments a few days ago, but they were finishing up today. Looking over her work, Invert smiled slightly. All she had to do was finalize her writings and then clean up. Her mind drifted again, pondering how the others were doing. Hooktooth had most likely finished already and was testing how long he could hold his breath underwater. Hourglass, always the unpredictable one, could be at any point in his work. Clasp was probably about ready to toss the books off the Tower (if that was indeed where she was) and complain to herself about not having enough damned time to work. And Pauldron was probably nearly done, but purposefully dragging out the length of his task to irritate those who wanted to pick up new quests without getting on Pauldron's bad side.

Glancing outside, Invert realized that the sun was setting and quickly returned to finalizing her work. She had been researching Albion's creatures and had produced a thick encyclopedia-type report complete with illustrations and a decent binding. She was relatively confident that Hero would approve of it. Although most of his actions were predictable, they were occasionally completely unexpected.

Standing up, Invert closed her book and set it on the chair, then sighed as she looked at the many books covering the table. "How the hell am I supposed to clean all this up before night?" she thought irritably, but proceeded to close, sort, and stack her research sources. By the time the average apprentices were coming in, Invert had neatly set the books back on the shelves that lined the area and held the product of her research to her chest.

Pauldron strolled in from the map room, his face bearing the usual wide grin, a thickly packed folder in his hands. Taking up a guard's accent, he drawled, "Gotcher work done, eh, 'ero?"

"Of course. Should we go get Hooktooth? He's probably fallen asleep in the water again. Wouldn't want him to drown, now would we?" Invert replied, waving to Hourglass as he ambled in, his expression blank and his hands empty but his pack looking a bit more full than usual. He waved back, unhurried.

"Aye, aye, cap'n," Pauldron responded. "Though he may think he's a fish, I'm pretty damn sure he ain't."

Rolling her eyes, Invert walked over to Hourglass, who was entering from outside, and the three then headed to the demon door. Recognizing their specialized robes, the door said, "The fool's sleeping. I can't get any rest with all that snoring," and allowed them inside, closing quickly behind them.

Hooktooth was lying halfway on the ground and partly in the water. Although the water was clear enough to see anything beneath its surface, Hooktooth had apparently thought enough ahead to pull on some pants before dozing off. Hourglass made his way forward and kicked Hooktooth in the chest while Pauldron sat on the tabletop. Invert looked around, spotted a thick book on the chair, and assumed that Hooktooth had already cleaned everything else up.

"You don't have to kick me to wake me up," Hooktooth grumbled, scowling. He clambered out of the water and, after Invert had turned around, stepped out of his pants and changed into the second dry pair he had brought with him. Hourglass shrugged and Pauldron supplied the words, "Well, I suppose we could always punch ya or fill ya with arrows, aye?"

Hooktooth stuck his tongue out. "How 'bout tapping my shoulder?" he suggested jokingly, then followed the others out to get Clasp.

"She's probably just finishing up now," Invert guessed, noting that it was a few hours into the night already. Hourglass nodded in agreement and gestured to a figure jogging towards them. Invert recognized it as Clasp, toting a pile of research books.

"And so Invert guessed correctly for a second time. What will she predict next?" Pauldron announced in the tone of an Arena speaker. Hooktooth chuckled and Invert rolled her eyes. Clasp soon joined the group, grumbling halfheartedly about deadlines. They were headed to the servant's quarters, which was close to one of the many doors in the ground that headed to their quarters. None of them knew where Hero slept, or if he even slept at all, but they knew he'd be there tomorrow to check up on their assignments.

Knowing that Hero would always know where to find them was comforting. Such a constant was unusual but profound. As the five entered their separate small rooms, their minds were all on the same thing: Hero's constant presence, even when he wasn't physically there. 


	2. Chapter 2

To Hide the Sun- Chapter Two

"What is it with you and torturing small animals?" Hooktooth asked, scowling slightly. Pauldron glanced up, smiling broadly. Hero's five apprentices had been told by Scythe that Hero was going to be later than expected- apparently he was off destroying some town. He hadn't been able to go into much detail since Pulse and Theatre were trying to claw each other's eyes out. It was a bit awkward to watch since they were twins, thus looked like they were clawing their own eyes out. Awkward, indeed. A few average apprentices were viewing the commotion with a sort of horrified amazement. Scythe shooed them away, and the five left as well.

Since Hero wasn't there and Scythe was busy trying to keep the twins from blinding each other, the five didn't have anything they needed to do. So, like in most of their free time together, they had wandered into the Guild Woods, which had recently been expanded and now held the original woods as well as a system of caves, a relatively large ditch, and a massive oak tree in the centre.

The caves were a constant source of amusement for the eight special apprentices, as they knew their way around them just as well as they knew their way around the Guild. However, almost any common apprentice that tried their luck in the caves ended up lost or dead. They would have stopped going in ages ago, but the eight (mainly Pauldron and Datura) kept up false rumours of there being a massive reward for anyone who made their way through in one piece.

Although titled as "the ditch", some of the apprentices called it something along the lines of "the pit of doom", which, logically, made the rickety bridge "the bridge of death". It was written in a few of the Guild's history texts that the ditch was originally dug to bury the old Guildmaster, but Hero had buried the body elsewhere. Now, it was filled with sharp stones, a shallow creek, and plenty of dead leaves.

The bridge led to a large, run-down shack that some of the older apprentices trained in. None of the average apprentices were allowed in until they had reached a certain point in their training, but the eight occasionally glanced in. The walls were lined with weaponry and straw dummies which were patched up with cloth in various areas, where someone sliced with more strength than average or shot clear through. All of them had a blackish tinge, evidence of Will being preformed upon the dummies. There was also a ring in the centre where duels seemed to take place.

What was probably the safest area was also the most curious. The story behind it was that when Hero was an apprentice, he had planted an oak tree in the woods and infused it with his Will as a test. Apparently it had grown swiftly and was still growing, though slightly slower than before. Either way, it was still a breathtaking thing to look at. What roots you could see were white and as the view panned up it became darker until it reached the branches, which were entirely black and gnarled. The tree represented all of Hero's life. Abstract images that looked like portraits dotted its surface- those of the legendary (as in always spoken about- not necessarily in a good way) Maze, Whisper, Theresa, and Briar Rose among them.

Hero's five apprentices were currently settled around this tree. Clasp was draped across a few branches, her face to the sky and her limbs hanging limply beside her. She was smiling slightly, but her expression darkened a bit when she heard what Hooktooth said. Hourglass was sitting, slouched slightly, with his back to the trunk, a pad of drawing paper on his lap. He was unhurriedly sketching the scenery around him, face blank as always.

Invert had been practicing her throwing by seeing how far she could throw rocks, but had changed her practice to test accuracy. Hooktooth, of course, was lying in the water, his head resting on his makeshift pillow made of his tunic. He was now watching Pauldron with the same gaze that the average apprentices had used when watching Pulse and Theatre fight.

Pauldron held a large squirrel in his hands, its side slit open. His hands were filthy with the thing's blood, but his grip remained chokingly firm. "Wha? How's this torturin' small animals?" he asked, lifting up the squirrel slightly. It was wriggling halfheartedly. "It's educational. I'm learning what the insides of a squirrel look like."

"While it's still alive?" Hooktooth retorted, cocking an eyebrow.

"'Course. Dontcha know that an animal's organs get all rotted once said animal's nothin' but a corpse?" Pauldron answered with a superior gaze. He held the act of a wise scholar for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Ha! Educational purposes- righ', righ'." With a shrug, he tossed the half-dead squirrel into the ditch.

"You freak," Hooktooth commented placidly, closing his eyes and resting again as if nothing had occurred. Pauldron shrugged indifferently to himself and searched the ground for insects to squish. He paused for a moment longer than he should have when looking at the tree, which brought attention to what he was looking at.

"I didn't know you met Hero before, Hooktooth," Invert said curiously as she looked at the image upon the tree. It was small and unobtrusive, but it was one of the few clear images, which made it easy to look at once you've found it. It was of Hooktooth's face and was positioned near the beginning of the branches.

"I forgot to mention that, didn't I," Hooktooth responded blankly. Invert recognized his lack of tone to be dangerous and was content to leave the matter for another time, but Pauldron wasn't.

"Guess so, eh, mate? Funny thing, memory. So, how'd ya meet?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, I want to know," Pauldron pressed.

Hooktooth turned his head slightly and glared at Pauldron with such an intensity that showed his reaction to Pauldron's squirrel torturing had been simple curiosity. "I'm not going to talk about it," he said in the same dead tone. Pauldron held Hooktooth's gaze for a bit longer than most people could, but he soon looked away.

"Okay," he said, and dropped the subject.

Clasp, who had been listening in silence, now said, "I'm getting hungry. It must be about time to eat, right?"

"Right," Invert confirmed. "Let's go get something from the caves. We can eat out here again, though, since it's all damp and swampy in the good sitting places."

"Oh?" Pauldron commented, his normal personality on display once more. "Why's that, 'ah wonder?"

Clasp glanced at him suspiciously but otherwise indifferently. "You probably tried drowning some stupid apprentice. Anyways, let's go." She dropped from the branches, stretched, and headed over to the caves. Hourglass flipped his sketchpad shut, slipped his pencil behind his ear, and followed with Invert and Pauldron. Hooktooth waited a moment, then stepped out of the water, drying his torso with his tunic then following.

The group avoided the main entrance to the caves, as they knew that there was a young balverine that made its den there. It was called the main entrance only because it was the most obvious, not because it was the most commonly used. Beyond the balverine was a series of lethal traps that had been built, set, and armed by Hero's five apprentices when they were bored.

Because of their knowledge of the caves, the five were able to meander over to the single trap door that just so happened to lead to the larder. Apart from Hero, Scythe, and the eight apprentices, only the servants and the few above-average apprentices knew the safe path to the larder. Even though they knew the path was safe, it was usually preferable to spend extra gold and buy something from the tavern. Most of the food stored in the caves was disgusting by most people's standards, but Hero's apprentices didn't care much about taste. One by one, they slipped through the trap door into the dank caves below. 


	3. Chapter 3

To Hide the Sun- Chapter Three

"Awh, c'mon...'Tis only a wee bit!" Pauldron retorted. "'s not like ah was tryin' to drown meself in 'ere. Ah would'a chosen somethin' more...eh...comfortable."

Clasp groaned. "I should hope so...if it smelled any worse, I'd think this was piss that we're slogging through..."

"Alcohol, actually, m'dear. Expertly pilfered from the barkeep the other night by yours truly," Pauldron stated.

"Whatever. It all smells bad," Invert grumbled.

They had reached the barrels of food with no problem, and since the barrels rested on iron platforms, the alcohol hadn't seeped into and ruined anything. After grabbing a few things to eat, they began to make their way out, complaining all the way. Only Hourglass remained silent, as usual, and Hooktooth was a bit quieter than normal. Pauldron, on the other hand, had already made his way through five different accents.

Clasp paused. She was about to ask exactly why Pauldron had dumped alcohol in the caves, but she realized that the light that had been coming in from the open trapdoor was now gone. All there was to see by was each of their own lanterns. "Who came in last?" she asked, trying to sound calm. She was the most likely out of all of the five to panic at nothing and she knew it.

"Hooktooth," Invert replied, frowning as she glanced at Clasp. "Why?"

"You left the trapdoor open, right?" Clasp asked.

Hooktooth stopped, noticing the lower amount of light as well. "Of course. So what closed it?"

The five were silent for a few moments, trying to remember if they'd seen anyone else around them. There had been no one, all of them realized.

"Whatever. Let's go the other way out," Invert suggested calmly. Clasp nodded hesitantly,then followed Hourglass as he led the way. "If it's anything trying to harm us, we each have our weapons, correct?"

Hourglass nodded absently, his mind concentrating on how to tell the others his opinion of what was happening. Since he was mute, it was always difficult to communicate with the rest of the group, especially at times like this. Usually he would write out what he wished to say in his sketchpad, but they needed to move swiftly- there was no time for him to write. Mentally cursing his lack of voice, Hourglass quickened his pace just enough so that the others weren't alarmed but moved faster by subconscious reaction.

"I have my dagger, yeah...I left my scimitar in my quarters. You know how much I hate carrying it around," Clasp responded.

Pauldron shook his head, the action mocking reproach. "Yew should get used ta carryin' it around, lil' lady," he said, his accent now of an old female schoolteacher's that had spent too much time around people from Darkwood.

"I have mine, and apparently so does the Voicebox," Hooktooth replied, ignoring Pauldron's amused glare at hearing his childhood name.

Invert was fingering her bow. Although there was no proof that it hadn't been a simple squirrel running into the trapdoor and thus knocking it shut, there was also no proof that it had. She preferred to be proactive, either way. As they passed through the narrowing corridors, she kept herself alert by studying the moss and molds growing along the walls.

Despite this, she remained closer to the back, near Clasp. If they did chance upon an enemy, an archer would be far more effective further away rather than close up. Pauldron was up front by Hourglass, of course- it was obvious by the sword strapped to his back that he was a fighter, therefore belonged where he could use his strength to the group's advantage. Hooktooth, with no particular strength in one field, was in the middle.

Sighing, Invert wondered if they should worry about a flanking maneuver as well. After all, if an enemy struck from the back at the moment, Clasp would be practically defenseless and Pauldron would be useless.

She might still be able to attack if she moved swiftly enough; Hooktooth would still be able to help; Hourglass would be just a bit less powerful than usual due to the distance. Glancing back at Clasp, Invert noticed with relief the occasional colourless spark trembling along the edges of her body. Clasp's nervousness was good at times- she had shielded herself from most physical attacks.

Invert breathed deeply for a moment, repressing the urge to run as she did so. However, she would have been relieved if she noticed Hourglass' constant speed increases. Because she didn't, her nerves were still strained with uncertainty and a wish to restrain the urge to kill that was trained into every apprentice.

Clasp watched, or rather perceived, Invert's discomfort. The way her fingers twitched on the bow, her constant head turning, and the self-induced stiffness in her stride were all very small things, but Clasp was able to see them and recognize what Invert was feeling.

Clasp was always astonished at how much a person's seemingly meaningless gestures actually said about the person. Of course, it always varied- one person chewing their lip could mean nervousness, then a different person doing the same thing could mean excitement. But after a few minutes of studying a person, Clasp was usually able to accurately define the gestures' meanings.

Such as how Hourglass was walking- he knew something was occurring now that he had thought would happen later, and so didn't see the need to alert the group. Now that whatever it was started, he was agitated and further annoyed with his lack of voice. He was never at ease with himself, and Clasp had grown used to the constant bit of chaos in her perception- but the chaos was more obvious now, as it always was when he needed to say something but couldn't.

Pauldron was actually the easiest to read. He knew that his motives were clear if one searched enough, and he didn't care enough to bother trying to hide them. His motives were simple as well; he enjoyed the power he had and used it to amuse himself as often as possible, which usually resulted in him using his strength to weaken another. Although Pauldron greatly enjoyed the feeling of triumph when he proved his superiority over something- like the squirrel- he searched for someone of a greater power than his own to learn from and was never satisfied with what he had when there was someone stronger.

There were actually only two people she could never read: Hooktooth and Hero. Because of that, she feared them slightly, but Hooktooth's manner was usually simple enough to get along with. Hero, of course, she feared greatly but also admired more than she admired anyone else. She could occasionally read glimpses of Hooktooth's actions, but Hero always remained an unrelenting wall. Whether it was because of Jack's mask or something else, Hero was always able to act in a completely unexpected way that amazed Clasp. His charisma was surprisingly powerful for one who never worked with others except to train his apprentices.

Clasp smiled slightly, now more at ease. Although still nervous of what was happening, reading and analyzing what others around her wrote with their actions always calmed her. But she was only calm for a few moments, as hearing a group of savage, violent screams coming from ahead is usually hard on the nerves. 


	4. Chapter 4

To Hide the Sun- Chapter Four

Hourglass halted and held up a hand, signaling to the rest of the group to get ready. Pauldron unsheathed his broadsword, grinning, and Hooktooth pulled out his long dagger a moment after, his face hard. Clasp held her hands in front of her, prepared to shield the others or give other Will support. Invert had already leveled her bow and nocked an arrow by the time Hourglass' hand hand went up, her arm quivering slightly from the strain.

As the screams grew louder, Hourglass was able to recognize some of the voices, thus confirming his suspicion. His expression darkened momentarily before he gestured his hand forward, then stretched it forward, lightning flickering around his palm. Taking this as a signal, Clasp summoned Will shields around the rest of the group and prepared multi-strike spells for Pauldron, Hooktooth, and Invert.

As the screaming went on and came closer, Pauldron shifted his weight from side to side, eager to begin hurting something, and Hooktooth spun his blade a bit. Clasp couldn't tell why this was- habit, anxiousness, or anticipation. Invert was breathing slowly, her gaze concentrated on the tunnel ahead.

The screaming halted suddenly and a large group of average apprentices appeared. They bore various weapons and malicious expressions, varying in intensity. One of the taller apprentices, recognized by Hourglass as Palm, stepped forward. He had decent control over a sword and bow, but his real strength lied in Will. He was one of the most intelligent of the average apprentices, and could often be caught trying to watch Hourglass and Clasp practice their Will power.

"We outnumber you greatly," Palm said, his voice stiff. "But I don't want this to have a bloody resolution." He glanced purposefully at Hourglass' hand and Pauldron's sword. "If you put down your weapons, we may be able to converse in a civilized manor."

"Civilized? So what was with the screaming?" Pauldron scoffed. "Ye fools. Let's just get t' the killin'!"

"In other words," Invert continued, voice cold and orderly, "we by no means will let down our weapons. Just tell us what you have to say or leave!"

Palm glanced back at the other apprentices. A few of them shook their heads, but most nodded. "Alright," he said, returning his attention to Hero's five, "We'll allow you to keep your weapons."

"'S not like ye could take 'em from us, anywhoo," Pauldron remarked, chuckling.

"...Indeed," Palm muttered disdainfully. "But what we wished to discuss was your group's rudeness and flaunted arrogance to the others and myself."

"'Flaunted arrogance'?" Pauldron repeated gleefully. "Ye may wish ta talk in smaller terms for me wee little brain, aye?"

"Will you stop that!" shouted another of the apprentices. "We know well that you're smart enough to understand our terms. So quit being a jerk!"

"Oh?" Pauldron repeated, lifting his sword lazily. "Ye wanted a 'civilized conversation', aye? Stop makin' ridiculous commands, then."

"Pauldron, that's enough," Hooktooth muttered under his breath. Pauldron shrugged.

"...As I was saying," Palm continued, slightly ruffled, "we want you to-"

"We want you to stop being mean to us!" the previous apprentice shouted again. She shoved her way forward, a scowl on her face. "Just because you're Guildmaster's favourites doesn't give you permission to treat us like dirt!"

"Wha' if we treat everyone like dirt?" Pauldron asked innocently/

The hotheaded apprentice's mouth hung open for a few moments, her mind racing to think of a reply. "Well...you shouldn't! You have to be kind to those weaker than yourself!"

Invert shot an arrow at the apprentice's arm, calmly nocking another. As the apprentice muffled a shout and covered the wound, Invert explained, "Don't talk like a fool. You're telling us to think of others before ourselves- you're telling us to be masochists who don't care if they're killed so long as the whole is preserved, even if the whole is made up of idiots! If you came to speak with us intelligently, keep your tongue in your mouth and let someone smarter speak!"

The apprentice dropped her gaze to the ground and shuffled back into the crowd, silently allowing Palm to continue.

"We are not asking you to take care of us. We are simply asking you to stop being rude to us."

"If you wish us to do that, you must prove yourselves," Pauldron retorted, imitating Palm's voice almost perfectly.

Ignoring Pauldron's insolence, Palm said, "How are we to do that when you keep pushing us out of the way?"

"Stop getting in the way to be pushed out," Hooktooth suggested, blocking out whatever Pauldron was about to say. "We're not keeping you from becoming stronger. If you wish to catch Hero's or Scythe's gaze, drop your jealousy and train. We didn't become stronger by wishing it. We became stronger by training. Being jealous that we train more than you despite you having nearly the same options is simply stupid."

Palm was silent for a few moments, the crowd behind him growing louder and more restless. He locked his eyes with Hourglass, his idol. "As you wish," he said at last, his voice quiet. He turned and made his way out, the crowd parting slightly to let him through. Now without a leader, the group became nervous and unruly. Some followed Palm out with a sort of panicked fervor, hoping to not become lost in the tunnels, while others moved with more confidence, seeing intelligence in Palm's decision.

Many stayed, however, the hotheaded female apprentice included. As the crowd grew louder, Hero's five dropped back into fighting stances.

"Well, looks like we're in for a decent fight after all," Pauldron remarked cheerfully. He tossed his sword from hand to hand, trembling slightly from the attempt to keep himself from rushing the apprentices and start fighting them all.

"Agreed," Hooktooth murmured, pulling out his second long dagger and standing straight, motionless save for the flicking of his wrists that made the blades spin. Invert hadn't moved from her previous position at all, though her arrow was now following the apprentice she'd previously shot as she shoved through the crowd, talking with the others. Hourglass remained prepared to cast an offensive, though not necessarily lethal, spell.

After a few more minutes, in which Pauldron's eagerness and Hooktooth's blade-spinning had increased greatly, the average apprentices started up a wordless chant. The violence in their voices and countenances showed that their decision was to fight anyways. Even before they rushed Hero's five, the fight had already begun.


End file.
